................... Appendix A Term Description
A-7
A.9 Reflection
1. Concept
When light is transmitted over an interface made of different media, it will be
reflected and refracted. If the interface is made of uneven media, the reflection
(dispersion) will be very complicated and may exist on different levels. In the
optical channel, it is in the form of reversely transmitted wave, that is, reflection,
which is shown in Fig. A.9-1.
n1
n2
Forward wave
Reflected wave
Refracted wave
Fig. A.9-1 Optical Transmission Over Interface Made of Uneven Media
As the optical fiber is not made of ideal even medium, the practical transmission
over the fiber is as shown in Fig. A.9-2.
Forward wave
Reflected wave
Fig. A.9-2 Optical Dispersion Over a Fiber
2. Causes
The reflection may be attributed to the following causes: Rayleigh reflection
caused by Rayleigh dispersion, Stokes reflection caused by Brillouin dispersion,
optical coupling generated at the connection points of optical parts or optical
fibers and reflection caused by multiple interfaces due to optical fiber crackle.